Homily For Tuesday Fifth Week of Easter Year B, The Feast of Our Lady Mother of Africa, 30th April 2024

 

Readings: AActs.1:12-14; Ps. Luke 1:46-55; John 2:1-11

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

MOTHER, HELP US TO DO WHATEVER JESUS TELLS  US

In a special way today, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady, Mother of Africa, a celebration that encourages we Africans to turn to Mary for her maternal intercession and assistance in our daily struggles in life as Africans. Little wonder our gospel passage today presents to us the story of an event that portrays what ought to be our relationship with Jesus and his mother Mary in every event of our daily lives.

Here, we see how the wedding couple invited Jesus and his disciples on the most important day of their lives. When an embarrassing moment came up during the celebration, Mary in her usual way of helping people asked Jesus to save the couple from social embarrassment and even when her request was not granted by her son, she had strong faith that he would not refuse her request. So she said to the servants: “ Do whatever he tells you”. 

By this request, Mary who represents the Church reveals to us the key to a successful and happy Christian Life. That is to say that, the secret key that opens the treasure of a successful and happy Christian life is to do whatever he (Jesus) tells us. But what did Jesus say we should do? He told the servants: Fill, Draw and Serve. Telling us to fill our lives with the water of salvation which he offers us every day through His words and Eucharist and when we have filled our lives with the fountain of his presence, then we should draw from the joy it offers and serve the world which is really in need and thirsty for peace, unity love and the word of God to guide us especially at this moment in our world when humanity really hope and seek for God’s intervention. 

Dear friends, we really need to fill our lives with the words of Jesus, which we hear every day. We need to learn from our mother Mary who never ceases to ponder God’s words in her heart. We need to learn how to serve others from the abundance we have received from God. We need to draw from the fountain of grace and gifts that God has given to us in order to build up our families, societies, countries and continents. We need to learn how to sacrifice for the good of others. We need to learn how to intercede for others who are going through difficult moments. But this is possible only when we have filled our empty souls with love, peace, joy and happiness that comes from knowing that Jesus cares so much about us personally and collectively.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the situation of human life in our world today is really frightening, your children in the African continent pray that through the intercession of our Lady Mother of Africa, may we find the strength to do your will always especially in our daily struggle in Africa, as we ask you to protect us from the evil manipulations and agenda of the world’s powers. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.